LeBron James made history on Tuesday by becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points, further solidifying his position as the league’s all-time leading scorer. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar entered the game against the New Orleans Pelicans with 49,999 total points, combining regular and postseason scores.
He reached the milestone early in the game, sinking a 25-foot three-pointer off a pass from Luka Doncic, bringing his total to 50,002 points and sparking a roaring reaction from the Crypto.com Arena crowd.
James had already broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points in 2023, a record that had stood for 39 years. Now, James is nearly 6,000 points ahead of Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 44,149 points, with Karl Malone in third place (41,689 points), Kobe Bryant in fourth (39,283 points), and Michael Jordan fifth (38,279 points). Among active NBA players, only Kevin Durant—who has just over 35,000 points—is close, trailing James by roughly 15,000 points.
The achievement was met with widespread admiration, including a tribute from Lakers legend Earvin Magic Johnson. “Congratulations to the King LeBron James for becoming the only player in NBA history to score 50,000 regular season and playoff points!” Johnson wrote on X.
James’ milestone came just hours after he was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February, becoming the oldest player to win the award. He led the Lakers to a 10-2 record that month, averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
His stellar performances have helped propel the Lakers on a six-game winning streak, moving them into second place in the Western Conference standings as they pursue their first NBA championship since the 2020 season.
